In this thread it is mentioned that That 70s show will continue without two of the major characters. This got me to wondering how many shows did well after the loss of a major character. The one that immediately springs to mind is Cheers.
Mind you, I don’t feel that Happy Days did “well” after Richie left, so I don’t count it.
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In the UK, the series Taggart survived the loss of the main character who gave the series its name. I think that was a few years ago too.
Is that doing well? I never watched it, so I don’t know. But I haven’t seen any commercials for it lately. Is it still on?
Well, the textbook case of a series doing well after a main character leaves is <i>Law and Order</i>. They’ve survived several major character changes, and while it’s not as good now as it used to be, I think that’s more from the writing & lack of unique story lines than the changes in characters.
<i>Hill Street Blues</i> managed too, although I’m not sure you’d consider the Sargent (or whatever rank he was) a major character, by still doing well after the actor died.
<i>ER</i> held up for a while; my opinions about the shows over the past couple years are in another thread on that series.
That’s all I can think of off the top of my head.
I’ve never seen it, but it IS still on.
Cheers continued to do well after Shelly Long left.
NYPD Blue after David Caruso
MAS*H after what’s his name, MacLean Stevenson?
Cheers was the one that I thought of reading the title, but there are quite a few others.
**Mary Tyler Moore ** continued on successfully following the creation of Rhoda with Valerie Harper’s character, and the departure of Chloris Leachman to her own show.
MAS*H had several major cast changes over the years starting with the departure of McLean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, and followed on by Larry Linville, and Gary Burghoff.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer continued on following the departure of David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter to Angel, with arguably its best season occurring after their departure (season 5).
All in the Family continued past the departure of the Jeffersons, who were fairly important secondary characters, halfway through the run of the show. Then Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner left a couple years before the end. Personally I think the show limped after that.
Three’s Company continued on following Suzanne Somers’ departure/firing/quitting.
Charlie’s Angels lost Farrah Fawcett-Majors the breakout star after only one season.
Then of course there’s Dallas, which didn’t do very well in its loss of Patrick Duffy (it was all Pam’s dream!) or Barbara Bel Geddes (who returned after Donna Reed discovered that the Southfork wasn’t a very hospitable place) but did successfully survive the death of the family patriarch, Jim Davis.
Well, Charmed is in it’s third season without Pru, if I’m counting right.
I think that with any long-running live-action TV show, the loss of a major character is almost inevitable. Sometimes the show can carry on, sometimes it can’t, but that likely depends more on the nature of the show than anything else.
Royal Canadian Air Farce also lost one of their four mains a couple years ago. They’ve since replaced him, after a stint of weekly guest stars (usually one of three or four people), but it’s just not the same. I want Mike back 
As was Blake’s 7. No Blake and not 7 would have been more accurate.
Not the same without “I’m Mike…from Canmore…” is it?
I’ve stopped watching This Hour Has 22 Minutes because of Rick Mercer’s departure. Even the Warrior Princess wasn’t enough to keep me watching.
The Valerie Harper Show, after Ms. Harper left – they brought in Sandy Duncan.
Never saw it before or after, so can’t comment on the quality of the change.
Barney Miller survived the loss of cast members quite nicely. There was a fair turnover, in fact.
Saturday Night Live not only survived the loss of Chevy Chase back when he was the show’s star, it went on the survive the simultaneous loss of its entire cast a few years later.
And MST3K survived the loss of Joel.
And later, Dr. Forrester/Crow. And earlier, come to think of it, TV’s Frank. Okay, maybe that’s not major enough…
Night Court lost Selma Diamond and Florence Halop.
Sesame Street lost Mr. Hooper.
Are any of the original cast members of Law and Order still on the show?
Also Bewitched lost the original Darren (Dick York I think - replaced by Dick Sargeant).
Nope. Chris Noth was the last cast member to be in the show who was also in the pilot. Steven Hill was in everything but the pilot. Both left ages ago.